Actually, the oil dipstick (at least on US models) runs through a tube to
the left of the oil fill pipe.  So, reasons #2 thru #4 below don't work.
The other reasons could be that one would have to continue to to hold the
filler nozzle, since there isn't a tight fitting hole.

Some people are just baffled but "the way things work".  There are all sorts
of stories reveal the ignorance of vehicle owners.  The focus should be on
the owner lending his Vanagon to someone like this.  I would just turn
anyone loose on a vanagon without some sort of briefing.  The vanagon isn't
the ordinary style car.  If I lend mine out, I'm going to give all if its
quirky details to the borrower.
brian
84 westy
seattle

tobin wrote:

Okay, I gotta ask: how could anyone *possibly* do this?  We hear
about this happening from time to time on the list, and it blows me
away every time.  I just don't get it.

I mean, picture it: Someone is used to American cars with the
gasoline fill tube behind the license plate, so pulls back the plate
and finds a tube with a cap on it there and starts to go at it
thinking it's where the gas goes.  Okay, I can follow it to that
point.  BUT:

1) The "gas cap" is marked "oil" (although it may not be legible if
it's really dirty);
2) It's got an OIL DIP STICK right through the centre of the cap (the
one marked "oil," remember?)
3) The dip stick has to be pulled out before the cap can be unscrewed
(unless they demonstrate impressive dexterity);
4) The dip stick will have OIL on it.

_________________________________________________________________
Join the world�s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail.
http://www.hotmail.com